New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has promised to protect Waqf properties in the state and said that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government has always done justice to Muslims and will continue to do so as a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the state.Naidu made the remarks while attending an Iftar hosted by the state government on Thursday (March 27) in Vijaywada.“I participated in the Iftar dinner hosted by the state government in Vijayawada on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. I prayed to Allah along with the Muslim brothers for the good of the state and the people,” he wrote on X.“I informed them that I will always support the Muslim minority community, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Spending time with the Muslim brothers during the holy month of Ramadan gave me great satisfaction,” he added. At the gathering, Naidu said that the TDP government had protected the Waqf properties earlier when the state had not been bifurcated and that it was committed to doing the same now, reported The Hindu.Naidu said that during the TDP administration justice had been done to the Muslims on all fronts, and assured them that they would be better off under the NDA rule.Referring to the Minorities Finance Corporation, Naidu said that it was the brainchild of former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao, during whose helm several schemes were implemented for the welfare of the Muslims and other minority communities.Naidu added that while the Haj House in Hyderabad was built during the TDP government, the foundation for the Haj House in Amaravati was laid but was stuck due to the YSRCP government.Naidu’s statement comes amid widespread criticism surrounding the NDA government’s move to bring The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024 to parliament. The legislation which was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) and whose report has been tabled in parliament, is aimed at reforming the governance of Waqf properties. The legislation looks to address issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties, proposes to get rid of the concept of “Waqf by User,” under which properties are sanctioned as ‘Waqf-based’ purely on the basis of religious purposes.
